蘑菇视频

蘑菇视频 Allen鈥檚 Modeling, Analysis, Visualization and Robotic Integration Center (MAVRIC) in Houston continues to assist planning activities for new systems and science cargo, while ensuring that these new items are designed and installed optimally to ensure crew safety inside the space station. In parallel, outside the station, our team assesses external science payload placements to optimize scientific research benefits, as well as monitor the constant visiting vehicle traffic to protect from collision with ISS structure.聽聽

The ISS has a finite area, but is always being updated with new systems and tools. Determining the placement of these items is critical for the optimal running of the space station and the safety of the crew.

蘑菇视频 Allen maintains a set of volume requirements that govern the areas where equipment cannot be placed, so called 鈥渒eep out zones鈥�, to avoid blocking ventilation, lighting, and critical controls. These requirements also include pathways that need to stay clear for the crew to move around鈥攊n both normal and emergency situations. Unfortunately, on orbit, these keep out zones are not visible to the crew. Plus, as the ISS becomes more crowded, it鈥檚 increasingly difficult to find available locations to place needed equipment and scientific tools required for ISS missions.聽

When it comes to ISS, you can鈥檛 just 鈥淕oogle it鈥�. To solve ISS鈥� logistics problem, 蘑菇视频 Allen鈥檚 MAVRIC team uses 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) modeling to assess ISS internal and external configurations. Models of the space and motion needs, or 鈥�3D envelopes,鈥� are created for each equipment requirement. This allows for quick study of clearances and interferences between hardware and keep out zones. Externally, we also use a set of robotic simulations that allow the team to simulate the ISS robotic arm movement and study extraction of payloads from visiting vehicles as well as moving these payloads to their planned-for location. For hardware that requires specific fields of view, we apply line-of-sight techniques using in-house tools to determine its optimal placement.

The needs of the ISS pose problems for most commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software, and require not only extensive subject matter expertise, but a personal touch. Many of 蘑菇视频 Allen鈥檚 solutions for assessing internal and external configuration require both 3D CAD and engineering expertise. For example, the MAVRIC team has developed its own mathematical techniques to calculate the projected area across complex geometries, motion envelopes for docking/departing visiting vehicles, and line of sight coverage visualizations from payloads or antennae. The team integrates COTS tools into its own custom applications, for the requirements verification to meet ISS needs. 聽

The MAVRIC team is looking to take our visualization into the virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) realm. This will assist in ISS crew and staff training, and allow for virtual fit checks to be performed anywhere using a portable laptop and VR/AR equipment. Additionally, MAVRIC has begun preliminary configuration analysis for the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, formerly the 鈥淒eep Space Gateway鈥�, for deep space excursions.

The MAVRIC team members are trusted partners and relentless innovators who daily apply their collective ingenuity to helping both the ISS and Gateway programs achieve optimal performance and success.聽